Policies

All sales are final unless authorized in advance. Hydrophones are often needed for short-term applications, and once they are used, they are often encrusted with salt and minerals. Cables, when not cared for properly, become twisted and tangled. Due to the nature of this use, even slightly used hydrophones can not be sold as new and thus we strictly adhere to this policy. If you find that you have purchased a product that does not work well for you, we will make reasonable efforts to make exchanges or modifications when possible. Defective items claimed under warranty will be repaired and returned to the customer, or replaced at our discretion.

Shipping costs are not refundable unless they result from our error, a warranty claim, or they are credited by the delivery courier. This applies to any return, whether return rights were granted by us or whether the product was returned by the courier as refused, unclaimed, or undeliverable. Only the product value of goods returned in as-new condition will be refunded to the customer.

Payment:

All orders will be paid in full in advance of shipment unless previously authorized for credit terms by us. Payment terms are offered on a case-by-case basis, but are generally restricted to large institutions, and well-established customers with delivery addresses in the United States.

Payment can be made by major credit card, PayPal, or wire transfer. We reserve the right to limit the total value of credit card payments or to cancel any payment we deem to be suspicious. We typically pay more than $30.00 per transaction in bank fees for each international wire transfer. Wire transfers can also take up to a week to be deposited into our account and it is difficult and costly for us to offer refunds if ever needed, so we strongly prefer other payment types for orders of less than $1000. There is a $10 surcharge on orders paid by wire transfer if the total product value is less than $500.

All international shipments will be prepaid. We have made only a few exceptions to this policy for well-established customers.

OEMs, professional audio equipment dealers, and technical consultants: Payment surcharges apply to all non-retail sales as follows. Wire transfers for total invoice values of less than $1000 will incur a $25 surcharge. Any order not paid in advance of shipment will pay a 2.5% credit card or PayPal surcharge. A 1% late free will be assessed for each calendar month beginning 60 days after the invoice date.

Privacy Policy:

Aquarian Audio and Scientific will collect only customer data that is relevant to communication, billing, and shipping. Your data is not shared with any third party except where directly necessary in the processing of your order, limited to our payment processor, and shipping companies. We value your privacy, so access to your data is provided on a need-to-know basis in order to operate the store and is only accessible by Aquarian staff.

Credit card details are passed securely to our payment processor and removed from our systems after authorization. Our staff has no access to this information. We do not store any payment information except when explicitly requested by the customer.

If a user chooses to share recordings or other media with us, we will always ask for your consent to share that with others. Any personal or organizational information contained in the credits of a media page listing should be approved by the provider and is then available to the public. We claim no right to user-submitted content. Anyone submitting media to us may request that we delete or modify those files in our system at any time. Consent to share your media is considered unlimited unless otherwise specified or revoked by the provider.

If you would like to have your personal data removed from our database, or if you would like to request a copy of all the personal data associated with your account on AquarianAudio.com, please send an email to "sales@aquarianaudio.com". Transaction records (invoice details) will remain in offline bookkeeping records unless explicitly advised to remove them. If you believe that your personal data has been misused, you have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority.

Shipping Notes:

Rate Calculation: Shipments by FedEx are billed at our cost and include shipment value protection from the courier. Shipments by the US Postal Service are billed at our cost plus insurance. We self-insure USPS shipments at a rate of 1% of the shipment value for domestic shipments, and 1.5% for export shipments (see additional notes below). It is not our intent to earn income on shipping. Markups are only intended to compensate for shipping liabilities. DHL rates are not presently calculated on this site, but we will use DHL for international shipments, with approval from the customer, when advantageous. UPS is available when billed to the recipient. Pickup charges may be added to your rate. No other couriers are presently used. We reserve the right to deny shipment to any individual, based on our liability concerns

Though we calculate rates using real-time APIs from the couriers, it is not possible to predict shipping costs accurately for every transaction made though AquarianAudio.com. Bulky items and packaging type may increase the dimensional weight (and cost) of a shipment. We can often save our customers money by using a flat-rate package, or by bulk-packaging multiple items. Shipping charges calculated by this web site are estimates only. It is our policy for orders originating from this web site to bill the rate calculated by our commerce software and quoted in the checkout procedure if that rate is within +/- $10.00 of our actual domestic charges as calculated above, and within +/-$20.00 for international charges. If your shipping rate exceeds these limits less than the cart rate, we will automatically revise your invoice and credit any overpayment. If your shipping rate exceeds these limits more than the cart rate, we will, at our discretion, absorb the additional cost, or notify the customer of the increase and hold your order until the additional charge is paid.

Express Shipments: We strive to be the best in the industry when it comes to getting hydrophones to our customers quickly. However, we do not accept any liability for delays caused by temporary closures of shop, out-of-stock standard items, or shipment delays caused by the courier. We make every effort to satisfy our customers and may facilitate a refund due to a shipment error--especially if that error was a result of our actions. But these judgments are made case by case. Our official return policy (above) is still in effect. Shipment delays caused by the courier are settled through the courier. Shipment delays are very rare and we have had years of experience with UPS, FedEx, DHL, and the US Postal Service. We only ship by reliable means. Please note: Customers (especially with international shipments) should plan to be available to take delivery in person Monday through Friday, authorize another recipient, or plan to make other arrangements with the courier. Aquarian Audio will not be liable for delays caused by missed attempts for delivery.

US Postal Service notes: Aquarian Audio Products has found the US Postal Service and its foreign contractors to be very reliable. During the few losses that we have encountered, the USPS has been difficult in resolving problems and very slow to respond. We have also never made a successful insurance claim with them. Thus, our policy is to self-insure all of the packages sent through the USPS at a rate of 1% (domestic) or 1.5% (export) of the shipment value. We will not replace a lost shipment until 30 days after its last known position. Customers requiring faster replacement must purchase the replacement order. We would then refund the cost of that replacement order at the end of the 30-day term, or upon return of that shipment by the customer. We will deliver by international air mail (US first class) for low-value, lightweight shipments. We can not track these shipments in any way and thus do not guarantee delivery. If you are considering this low-cost shipping option, you must accept liability for loss. In the event of loss or damage, we will work with you to provide a replacement, but reserve the right to make additional charges. A $3.00 handling fee is charged on first-class international shipments. No additional insurance fees are charged. If you are willing to accept these terms, the USPS can be a quick and economical shipping option.

Exports: Aquarian Audio Products will always do its best to prepare export shipments with accurate shipping waybills and all necessary customs documents. Despite our best efforts, shipments are occasionally held in the customs clearance process for unpredictable periods of time. We make no guarantee that your package will be delivered within the expected transit time. Any applicable import taxes are the responsibility of the buyer and will be collected at time of delivery by the courier. These taxes vary, depending on shipment value, shipment method, and destination country. Many international buyers pay no additional tax. Aquarian Audio Products does not attempt to keep tariff and tax rates for any country of export; it is the sole responsibility of the buyer to investigate these charges if needed. For more detail and links to world customs agencies, please see our Export Tax Information page. Due to the cost associated with export shipments, we highly recommend that you also read the warranty limitation below.

Freight Collect: Buyers may specify their courier for delivery, which can include any person or business responsible for collecting the buyer's shipment from our shop. For domestic shipments by FedEx or UPS, the buyer need only supply their courier account number and specify the courier-insured value. International buyers should provide a complete shipping label and customs documents. Any shipment that is billed to the customer's account will have EXW incoterms and FOB-Origin--meaning that when we give the shipment to your courier, our commitment to deliver is fully satisfied and we assume no further liability for lost or damaged goods. We reserve the right to deny shipment or modify the terms of payment when using couriers that have not proven reputable or for importers who do not provide complete shipping documents.

Freight Forwarders: A freight forwarder can be any person or business that accepts delivery from our courier and facilitates final transport to the buyer or consignee. If we are asked to ship to a freight forwarder, our commitment to deliver is fully satisfied when our courier places the shipment with the freight forwarder. Our courier provides proof of delivery through tracking results. Any shipment damage from our courier must be reported immediately and before the shipment is moved again. We assume no further liability for lost or damaged goods once in the possession of the freight forwarder.